ADHAKI (Root)
Adhaki consists of dried root of Cajanus cajan (Linn.) Millsp. (Fam. Fabaceae); an annual or perennial, erect shrub, 1.2-3.1 m high, cultivated almost throughout as a pulse crop upto an altitude of 1830 m in the Himalayas. It is mainly grown in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
SYNONYMS –
Sansk : Tuvari
Assam : Ruharmah
Beng : Adar, Aaharee, Arhar
Eng : Pigeon Pea, Red Gram
Guj : Tuvar, Tuvera, Tur, Tuver
Hindi : Arahad, Arahar
Kan : Togari, Tovaree, Togari, Kari Uddu, Togaribele
Kash : —
Mal : Thuvara, Tuvara
Mar : Toor, Toori, Tura
Ori : Harada, Kandulagachha
Punj : Arhar
Tam : Tovarai, Thovary, Adagi Tuvari, Thuvarai, Tuvarai, Thovarai
Tel : Kandulu, Kadulu
Urdu : Arhar
DESCRIPTION –
a) Macroscopic:
Root stout, branched, cylindrical, tapering having a number of secondary roots and rootlets, surface rough due to transversely running light brown lenticels, cream to light yellow externally, dirty white internally; fracture, hard and fibrous; odour, characteristic; taste, acrid.
b) Microscopic:
Mature root shows 3-7 layers of cork of rectangular, tangentially elongated, thin walled cells, interrupted at certain places by lenticels; secondary cortex consists of outer 3-7 layers of thin-walled, somewhat tangentially elongated parenchymatous cell, followed by a row of oval to elongated stone cells, thick-walled, elliptical, with wide lumen; some adjoining parenchymatous cells contain prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate; in the inner region strands of isolated or groups of 2-12 lignified fibres present; secondary phloem consists of sieve elements, fibres and phloem parenchyma, traversed by phloem rays; phloem fibres lignified, variable in size with pointed tips and wide lumen scattered throughout phloem region in single or in groups; some stone cells, mostly in groups and possessing yellowish contents, also found scattered in inner phloem; phloem rays numerous, uni to triseriate and straight; ray cells rectangular to rounded in inner phloem region, rounded to tangentially elongated in outer phloem; cambium consisting of 4-6 rows of thin-walled, narrow, tangentially elongated colourless cells; xylem occupies bulk of root and composed of vessels, tracheids, xylem parenchyma and fibres; vessels of varying sizes having pitted walls occur in small groups of 2-3 and also as occasionally isolated units in larger groups of 4-7; fibres short with wide lumen and pointed tips; parenchyma thin walled and rectangular; xylem rays numerous, uni to triseriate, biseriate being more common, straight, 3-25 cells high, radially elongated.
Powder – Cream coloured; shows numerous pieces of pitted vessels, fibres, cork cells, sclereids and a few prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH –
Foreign matter Not more than 2 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.2
Total ash Not more than 3.5 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.3
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 0.7 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.4
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 2 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.6
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 4 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.7
T.L.C. –
T.L.C. of alcoholic extract on Silica gel ‘G’ plate using Ethylacetate : Methanol (90 : 10) v/v shows under U.V. (366 nm) six fluorescent zones at Rf. 0.06, 0.20, 0.69, 0.80, 0.90 (all blue) and 0.92 (yellow). On spraying with 5% Methanolic Sulphuric acid six spots appear on heating the plate at 105°C for about ten minutes at Rf. 0.06, 0.22, 0.30, 0.80, 0.88 and 0.92 (all grey).
CONSTITUENTS – Saponins and Reducing Sugars.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION –
Rasa : Madhura, Kasaya
Guna : Laghu, Ruksa
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Vatakara, Pittahara, Kaphahara, Grahi, Varnya, Rucikara, Visaghna
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Mahapancagavya Ghrta, Kankayana Gutika
THERAPEUTIC USES – Raktavikara
DOSE – 2-6 g. of the drug in powder form.
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